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Terrace council increases housing options

THE STUFFED council Kermode bear peered out over Terrace city council proceedings Monday Feb. 25 as the public meeting motions passed quick as a river during spring thaw.

Council gave third reading and then approval of a zoning amendment to allow secondary suites on larger rural properties.

With the bylaw amended, RR1 rural property owners can now rent out space in secondary structures other than the principle residence on their property.

Council also heard Terrace Art Gallery board chair Judy McCloskey's 2012 year end review. In addition to her enumeration of the gallery's successes in the areas of publicity and sales, McCloskey hinted at the need to raise the gallery coordinator's salary.

This year marks the gallery's 30th anniversary, and council members were encouraged to create art for the celebratory exhibit.

Shames Mountain Ski Club was also scheduled to present to council about a request for support, but no representatives showed up.

Skeena - Bulkley Valley NDP MP Nathan Cullen wrote to request support for a federal infrastructure fund the official opposition party is promoting in Ottawa.

“It's not going to cost us money to write [him] a letter,” councillor Stacey Tyers said as council members debated Cullen's request.

At the end several new business items were brought up.

Brian Downie spoke of his discussion with Nathan Cullen at the MP's economic development forum here Feb. 19 about a study to determine “what were the primary factors in a community that would cause them to say yes to economic development proposals.”

Downie also mentioned that gas pipeline company Spectra Energy donated money to the recent Nisga'a new year's celebration in Gitwinksihlkw.

Councillor Lynne Christiansen said she has renewed efforts to change the name of Sockeye Creek, that feeds into Lakelse Lake, back to Eliza Creek which original settlers had named it.

Marylin Davies concluded the evening by citing a recent court ruling and crack-down by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities aimed at cutting back on conflict of interest scenarios in municipal governments that could potentially pose significant barriers to council members participating in non-profit ventures .

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